Slow-closing device for hydraulic-elevator valves.



Patented May 27, I902 L. H. HARRIMAN.

SLOW CLOSING DEVIQE FOR HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR VALVES.

(Application filed may 24, 159B.)

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No. 70|,265. Patented May 27, I902.

L. H. HARRIMAN.

. SLOW CLOSING DEVICE FOR HYDRAULH'} ELEVATOR VALVES.

(Application filed M21124, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 $heetsShee1t 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT iO rricE.

LOUIS H. HARRIMAN, OF HAVERHILL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE PLUNGERELEVATOR COMPANY, OF VVOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

SLOW-CLOSING DEVICE FOR HYDRAULlC ELEVATOR VALViES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,265, dated May 27,1902.

Application filed May 24. 1898. Serial No. 681,560. (No model.)

at the highest rate of speed that is consistent with safety and also tohave the car reach its maximum rate of speed as soon as possible afterstarting. If, however, the controlling apparatus of a high-speedelevator is so adjusted that the car may be started quickly,

great care must be exercised on the part of the operator to bring thecar to a standstill gradually; otherwise certain undesirable resuitswill follow. For example, sudden stopping causes an unpleasant sensationto a passenger, and in the case of an elevator so constructed that thecar is lifted by a plunger underneath the car, the car and plunger beingproperly counter-weighted, if when the car is going up the supply ofwater to the cylinder be shut off too rapidly the momentum of the carand plunger going up and the counterweight going down will be so greatthat the plunger will jump off the water and go beyond the point desiredand will then drop back with a jerk extremely unpleasant to thepassengers. Also in this class of elevators when the car is going downif the exhaust be shut off too rapidly the car will come to a stop witha sudden jerk. Similar results will occur if the main valve be closedtoo quickly in the class of elevators in which the plunger is arrangedat one side of the 0 elevator-well and is one-half the length of the runof the car, the latter being lifted as.

the plunger descends and being lowered as the plunger is raised in theelevator-cylinder that is, when the plunger is going up and the 5 car isgoing down the plunger is liable to jump off the Water and the car willdrop beyond the stopping-point and be pulled back as the plungerreturns. In the case of the ordinary circulating elevators, in which thewater acts upon a piston instead of a plunin so short a time that therewill be any jerking or strain-that is, however suddenly the operator mayattempt to stop the car the rate of speed with which it comes to rest islimited to a predetermined rate.

My invention consists of a slow-closing or retarding device whichpermits the free opening of the'ordinary three-way controllingvalve ineither direction or to either open position from its central-or closedposition, but which prevents a correspondingly quick return of the valveto its closed position.

My invention consists, further, of certain other features, as willhereinafter more fully appear.

In order that my invention may be more fully understood, reference ismade to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification,in which like references refer to like parts, and in which a Figure 1 isa section of a preferred form of my invention applied to a common typeof elevator-valve. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are sectional views of differentmodifications.

l is a common type of three-way elevatorvalve, S being the supply, E theinlet to the elevator-cylinder, and WV the exhaust.

2 is an auxiliary motor, and 3 is a simple form of pilot-valve, which isprovided with any well-known means for operating the same from the car.The auxiliary motor is connected to the main valve by any suitablemeans, as the links 4. 5 6, whereby the former may move the latter inaccordance with the position of the pilot-valve.

8 is a closed cylinder, which for convenience is shown adjacent to theauxiliary motor, said cylinder being provided with a piston, thepiston-rod of which is shown in this instance as a continuation of thepiston-rod of the auxiliary motor, although, as will hereinafter appear,said piston-rod may be connected with any part which moves with the IOOreturn flow toward either end of the cylinder.

12 is a relatively smaller passage than passage 15, said passage beingshown in this instance as connected to each end of passage 15. 13 is aregulating-plug in said passage 12 for regulating the flow therethrough.

The operation of the device is as follows: The operator in the car willmove the pilotva'lve to the right, as shown in Fig. 1, admitting waterunder pressure to the auxiliary motor, moving its piston to the right,which in turn will move the main valve to the right, opening the supplyto the elevator-cylinder. In using myinvention the supply to theauxiliary motor will be enlarged sufficiently to inove the main valve tothe open position as quickly as desired. As the auxiliary motor moves tothe right it draws after it the piston 9 in the cylinder 8, the fluidtherein being forced through the opening 11 past the checkvalve- 10 backinto the cylinder through the central opening 11 and as the flow in thisdirection is unobstructedcomparativelylittle resistance will be oiferedto the movement of the piston of the auxiliary motor by the piston 9.When the pilot-valve is moved to the left, so that the main valve willbe returned to its central position, the piston 9 will also be movedfrom its position at the right hand of the cylinder 8. As soon as thepiston 9 is moved to the left the check-valve. 10 will close, preventinga return flow through the passage 15. There will be, however, a reducedflow of fluid through the passage 12 to the right-hand end of thecylinder 8, permitting the piston 9 to return comparatively .slowly toits central position, and thus preventing a too-rapid closing of themain valve. The speed with which the main valve may be closed may beadjusted by the valve 13,

as desired. In like manner when the main valve is moved from its closedposition to open the elevator-cylinder to exhaust the piston 9 may movefreely to the left, the fluid in cylinder 8 flowing freely past saidpiston through the open passage 15, past the checkvalve 10 through thecentral opening 11 into the cylinder. As the main valve returns to itscentral or closed position the check-valve 10 closes and the only supplyto, the lefthand end of the cylinder 8 is through the passage 12,sothatthe piston 9 returns slowly to its middle position, the main valvethus being obliged to close slowly, as before. It may be found desirableto'have the first part opened.

of the closing movement of the main valve rapid and the latter partslow, as by this means the car may be quickly checked; but the last partof the closure of the valve will not be so rapid as to cause any of theundesirable results above referred to. complish this by the means shownin Figs. 2 or 4:, in which the cylinderis shown as tapered internallyfrom the ends toward the center for a portion of the length, as shown at25,

the internal diameter of the cylinder at the I may acends being somewhatgreater than that of the piston and tapering to a point some distancefrom the center of the cylinder, the middle portion thereof being madestraight and of the same diameter as the piston, as shown at 30. Theoperation of this arrangement is apparent. In the first part of thetravel of the piston from either end toward the center the .fluid in thecylinder can circulate past the piston with considerable freedom; butthe freedom with which it can thus circulate will become more and morerestricted until the piston reaches the straight part of the cylinder,when the only circulation will be through the restricted by-pass, andthe speed of its travel for the remainder of its movement to ,the centerof the cylinder will be dependent upon the degree to which ,the valvetherein is Other well-known means for varying the speed of the piston ofaretarding-chamber i may be substituted for the means shown herein, asmy invention is not limited to the particular means illustrated. Thegeneral combination shown, however, I believe to be origi-.

nal with me.

If it is desirable to adjust the speed at which the valve may be openedin either direction, a valve may be placed in each enlarged bypass, asshown at 20, Fig. 2, and if it is de sired to have the speed, of closingfrom one direction different from that from the other direction this maybe readily accomplished by placing a by-pass, at 26 and 26 around eachcheck-valve, as shown in Fig. 2, each of which may be independentlyadjustedby the plugs 27. It will be obvious that it is immaterialwhether the single by-pass (shown in Figs. 1 and 4) or the two by-passes(shown in Fig. 2) be used in connection with the means .for adjustingand varying the speed of the piston in its openingor closing movements.

If it is desired to have the main valve close slowly from, only one openposition, one of the check-valves could be omitted or a constructionmight be, used, such as is shown in Fig. 3, in which one-half of thecylinder is sufficiently enlarged to permit a free circulation past thepiston in whichever direction it e is moved. In this modification I showcheckvalves in the. piston instead of in a by-pass andprovide the pistonwith a small aperture in lieu of the restricted by-pass shown in Figs. 1and 2. It will be evident that this aperture might be omitted and thepiston made piston will be in its middle position when the main valve isin its middle or closed position. It is obviously immaterial whether thecylinder is fixed or the piston and piston-rod are fixed.

When my invention is used in connection with an elevator-valve, it willbe impossible for the operator to start or stop the car in any less timethan the adjustment of my device will permit. For example, if the car iscontrolled by a lever in any well-known manner and the car is travelingat a high rate of speed the lever may be instantly thrown over to itsfullest extent to stop the car, yet, nevertheless, the car willgradually come to rest without appreciable strain or jar. B y means of afew experiments the valves in the various by-passes may be so adjustedthat the time in which the car may be started or stopped will be theleast that is consistent with safety.

My device may be easily and cheaply made,

it not being necessary for the piston to fit the cylinder accurately,and packing Will be necessaryonly Where the piston-rod enters thecylinder. Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. The combination with a three-way valve which is adapted to be closedwhen in an intermediate position, of a slow-closing device having amoving part thereof connected to said valve, means for permitting themovement of said moving part at apredetermined speed from anintermediate position in either direction, and means for restricting thespeed at which it may be moved toward said intermediate position.

2. The combination with ahydranlic-elevator valve which is adapted to bemoved from an intermediate position to open the supply to and dischargefrom the elevator-cylinder, a slow-closing device connected to saidvalve, consisting of a cylinder, a piston therefor, means for permittinga free discharge of the fluid in said cylinder as the piston is movedtoward either end of said cylinder, and means for restricting the supplyof fluid to either end of said cylinder as said piston is returned toits intermediate position, whereby said valve may be opened quickly tosupply or exhaust, but will be retarded in its movement to its closedposition.

3. A device for regulating the opening and closing movements of athree-way valve, consisting of a cylinder, a piston therefor, means forpermitting the unrestrictedcirculation of fluid past said piston when itis moved from an intermediate position in said cylinder in eitherdirection, and means for automatically restricting the circulation pastsaidpiston as it is moved toward said intermediate position.

4. A slow-closing valve, consisting of a closed cylinder, a pistontherefor, an enlarged passage connected to each end of said cylinder andto an intermediate portion thereof, check-valves in said passagesarranged to permit afree flow of the fluid in said cylinder from eitherend toward the center thereof, and means for permitting a restrictedflow toward either end of said cylinder.

5. Aslow-closing device for a three-way valve, consisting of a closedcylinder, a piston therefor, an enlarged passage connected to each endof said cylinder and to an intermediate portion thereof, check-valves insaid passages arranged to permit a free flow of the fluid in saidcylinder from either end toward the center thereof, and a restrictedby-pass around said check-valves.

6. A slow-closing device for a three -.Way valve, consisting of a closedcylinder, a piston therefor, an enlarged passage connected to each endof said cylinder and to an intermediate portion thereof, check-valves insaid passages arranged to permit a free flow of the fluid in saidcylinder from either end toward the center thereof, a restricted by-passaround said check-valves, and a valve in said by-pass for regulating theflow therethrough.

7. A slow-closing device for a three-way valve, consisting of a closedcylinder, a piston therefor, a passage connecting each end of saidcylinder to an intermediate portion thereof, check-valves thereinarranged to permit a free flow of fluid from the ends toward the middleof said cylinder, means for regulating the flow through said passagesand means for permitting a restricted flow in the opposite directions.

8. The combination with a hydraulic-elevator valve, which when movedfrom its middle position in one direction will connect theelevator-cylinder with the supply and in the other direction with theexhaust, a slow-closin g device for said valve consisting of a cylinder,a piston therefor, connected to a moving part of said valve, andarranged to be in the central position of its travel when the valve isin its closed position, means for permittinga free circulation past saidpiston as it is moved in either direction from its central position,

and means for preventing a correspondingly free circulation past saidpiston as it is moved from one of its extreme positions to its middleposition, substantially as described.

9. A device for regulating the opening and closing movements of athree-way valve, consisting of a cylinder containing a fluid, a pistontherefor, passages connected to said cylin- 'der, means for alternatelyclosing said passages as the piston is moved in different directions,and a constantly-open passage, reladevice for a three-way tively smallerthan said first-named passages, through which fluid may flow when eitherof the first-named passages is closed.

10. A device for regulating the opening and closing movements of athree-way valve, consisting of a cylinder containing a fluid, a pistontherefor, passagesconnected to said cylinder, means for alternatelyclosing said passages as the piston is moved in different directions,aconstantly-open restricted passage, relatively smaller than thefirst-named passages, through which the fluid may flow wheneither ofsaid passages is closed, and means, for regulating the flow through allof the above-named passages.

11. A device for regulatingthe opening and closing movements of athree-way valve, consisting of a cylinder containing a fluid, a pistontherefor, means for permitting a free circulation of fluid past saidpiston as it is moved from the center of said cylinder toward either endthereof, means for permitting only a restricted return flow past saidpiston as it is moved toward the center of said cylinder, and means forgradually restricting the freedom with which the fluid may pass thepiston as it is moved from either end toward the center of the cylinder,whereby the speed at which the piston may be returned is correspondinglyreduced as it approaches the cen ter of the cylinder.

12. A device for regulating the opening and closing movements of athree-way valve, consisting of a cylinder containing a fluid, a pistontherefor, means for permitting a free circulation of fluid past saidpiston as it is moved from the center of said cylinder toward either endthereof, means for permitting only a restricted return flow past saidpiston as it is moved toward the center of the cylinder, and means forvarying the freedom with which the fluid may pass the piston, wherebythe speed at which the piston may be moved by the valve during suchpredetermined movements is correspondingly varied.

13. The combination with an elevator-valve which is adapted to be closedwhen in an intermediate position and be opened when moved in eitherdirection from said position,

an automatic speed-regulating device having a moving part thereofconnected to said valve, means for permitting comparatively freemovements of said moving part in either direction from an intermediateposition, and means for automatically varying the speed at which saidpart may be returned from an extreme to said intermediate position,whereby the speed of said valve in its closing movements may be madedifferent at different points therein.

14. The combination with an elevator-valve which is adapted to be closedwhen in an intermediate position and be opened when moved in eitherdirection from said position, an automatic speed-regulating devicehaving a moving part thereof connected to said valve, means forpermitting comparatively free movements of said moving part in either direction from an intermediate position, and means for automaticallyvarying the speed at which said part may be returned from either extremeto said intermediate position,

whereby the speed of said valvein its closing movements may be madedifferent at different points therein.

15. The combination with an elevator-valve which is adapted to be closedwhen in an intermediate position and opened when moved in eitherdirection from said position, a slowclosing device comprising a pistonand cylinder, one of which parts is fixed and the other movable,connections between the movable part of said device and said valve,whereby said piston is in an intermediate position with respect to saidcylinder when said valve is in its closed position, means for permittinga comparativelyfree circulation of fluid past said piston when saidvalve is moved in either direction, and means for correspondinglyrestricting said circulation when said valve is returned to its closedposition, so that the speed of said valve in closing is correspondinglyreduced.

LOUIS H. IIARRIMAN.

